• The Real Hornblower

  • The Life and Times of Admiral Sir James Gordon
  • By: Bryan Perrett
  • Narrated by: Ron Bottitta
  • Length: 6 hrs and 56 mins
  • 4.1 out of 5 stars (41 ratings)

Prime logo Prime members: New to Audible?
Get 2 free audiobooks during trial.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
Premium Plus auto-renews for $14.95/mo after 30 days. Cancel anytime.
The Real Hornblower  By  cover art

The Real Hornblower

By: Bryan Perrett
Narrated by: Ron Bottitta
Try for $0.00

$14.95/month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy for $19.95

Buy for $19.95

Pay using card ending in
By confirming your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and Amazon's Privacy Notice. Taxes where applicable.

Publisher's summary

Ever since C. S. Forester's fictional hero Horatio Hornblower began to delight audiences, there has been speculation that his adventures were based on the career of a real naval officer. Several names were suggested, but the general conclusion was that Hornblower was a composite character. In this thoroughly researched book the author argues convincingly that Forester's model was Adm. James Gordon, a flesh-and-blood hero of Nelson's navy.

Gordon entered the Royal Navy as a semi-literate eleven-year-old and rose to become Admiral of the Fleet. He took part in major sea battles, frigate actions, single-ship duels, and operations far behind enemy lines. It was the fire of Gordon's ships against Fort McHenry that inspired the American national anthem. When he died, after more than 75 years of service in the navy, The Times called him "the last of Nelson's captains".

To support his claim, Bryan Perrett points to The Commodore and Hornblower's venture into the Baltic to harass the seaward flank of Napoleon's army during its retreat from Moscow as a remarkable parallel to Gordon's invasion up the Chesapeake in 1814 and his return down the Potomac with 21 prizes. He explains that Forester lived in the United States at the time he wrote The Commodore and fearful of offending his American readers, studiously obscured the identity of the real Hornblower. In telling the largely unknown story of Admiral Gordon's active service career, the book will be appreciated not only by the thousands of fans who have enjoyed the adventures of Hornblower, but also by those interested in the naval warfare of the Napoleonic period. Listeners who enjoy biography will find that they have the added bonus of an absorbing literary and historical detective story.

©2014 Bryan Perrett First published 2013 Pen & Sword Books Limited (P)2014 Audible Inc.

What listeners say about The Real Hornblower

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    19
  • 4 Stars
    13
  • 3 Stars
    6
  • 2 Stars
    1
  • 1 Stars
    2
Performance
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    17
  • 4 Stars
    9
  • 3 Stars
    4
  • 2 Stars
    1
  • 1 Stars
    0
Story
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    15
  • 4 Stars
    9
  • 3 Stars
    7
  • 2 Stars
    0
  • 1 Stars
    0

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Missing final chapter

you didn't include the final chapter. Disappointed with the lack of closure and left me wanting.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

An Interesting History

This is an interesting history, from the British point of view, but it only loosely connects Gordon to Hornblower.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Title Here....

Dull book about a Brit/Scot Admiral that not many Americans have ever heard about. RN fans will get something from Royal Naval practice and activity. A lot about imperial England will be shown, too. However, I just couldn't get into the obscure (to US readers) people and history. The listen is horrid and the sound just doesn't resonate. Got about one hour into a six hour book. DNF.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!